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by Kerochan The opening seems mundane enough: a jazzy beat coupled with monochrome images sliding by in neat succession. It’s actually reminiscent of a bad television show from the 70’s or one of the earlier James Bond movies. The beat seems alluring, but the images seem static and incongruent. At first glance, it seems as if there’s nothing to distinguish Cowboy Bebop from the rest of the fold. All this changes, however, once the real show begins. The tremendous detail is apparent as a sleek ship cascades down mechanical gateways in glorious CG. The artwork and animation are both stunning with characters being easily distinguishable even at first glance. The action scenes are smooth and action-packed whether it’s a fist-fight or a adrenaline-pumped dogfight in the deep recesses of space. The plot seems unremarkable: a pair of mercenaries down on their luck, trying to scrape by until they recover the next bounty. Imbedded within this simple premise are very deep characters who have pasts that haunt them and trapped in a world that isn’t quite so forgiving. The main character, Spike Spiegel, is a man shrouded in mystery. It is a past that is slowly revealed in the series in very jarring and emotional scenes. Spike remembers who he was, and seems to spend every day of his life trying to escape his past. Unfortunately, his past seems to always catch up with him as former comrades turn into deadly enemies, and an old love-interest becomes the root of a bewildering mystery. Jet Black, his partner, is an ex-cop who’s turned bounty hunter. Like Spike, he seems to have his own skeletons rattling in the closet. The first thing you notice about him is that he’s not quite all human. Cybernetic implants litter his muscled body, making him appear like something that came out of Terminator 2. Why he turned out that way is a mystery in itself. Then there’s Faye Valentine: a vagabond gambler who’s somehow attached herself to Spike and Jet. Despite her gypsy nature, she seems attracted to her comrades. When it seems that they’re getting closer, however, she pushes away, unable to cope with a family since she’s never really had one. Faye tries to be independent and pretends not to care about anyone but herself. She seems to be a slave to her whims, with no loyalty to anyone else. Add to this motley crew, a young child computer whiz called Ed, and a data dog known as Ein, and you’ve got a strangely diverse and colorful set of characters. It’s interesting how these characters interact with one another, and you feel like they’re real people with faults and problems that plague them almost ceaselessly. You soon find yourself caring about them even as they stumble in and out of their epic and sometimes not-so-epic adventures. Despite the occasional silliness, this series is simply amazing. The story line keeps you transfixed on the action even as you wow your way through the stunning visuals and amazing CG. As a whole, there is a lot to recommend about Cowboy Bebop. If you can get through the silly name and the deceptive theme, you’ll find a gem worth keeping in your anime library for decades to come.
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